LSU cancels football series with NC State

LSU cancels football series with NC State

In an expected move, LSU canceled its future two-game football series with NC State.

The Tigers and Wolfpack were scheduled to meet in 2017 in Baton Rouge and in 2020 in Releigh, NC., in a deal struck in 2005. LSU paid NC State the $100,000 penalty for exiting the deal.

Verge Ausberry, LSU’s senior associate athletic director, said LSU wanted to move the series back, but NC State did not.

LSU most recently scheduled a home-and-home series with Syracuse for 2015 and 2017. N.C. State would have given LSU two major nonconference opponents in one season in 2017, something the school likes to avoid.

The Southeastern Conference recently added a component to its scheduling format: Starting in 2016, SEC teams must play at least one nonconference game a year against a team from the Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12 or ACC.

LSU has been actively scheduling major conference teams for the past few years. The Tigers have a team from one of those four conferences already scheduled for 2014-17 and 2020-2024.

LSU has played at least one game against a major-conference team since 2009 and has ensured it will in the future with games already scheduled against Arizona State (2022-23), Syracuse (2015-17), UCLA (2021-24) and Oklahoma. Dates for the Oklahoma home-and-home series have not been scheduled.

With NC State off the 2017 schedule, the Tigers need a nonconference game to complete the slate. The Tigers are contracted to play Georgia Southern, Syracuse and Troy.

Allen to Arizona

Former LSU defensive end Jordan Allen is transferring to Arizona, he told the Arizona Daily Star on Tuesday.

Allen decided to transfer midway through spring practice in March. He’ll join head coach Rich Rodriguez and the Wildcats, he told the Star.

“I was just ready for a fresh start; something different,” Allen said.